Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 102

“Ugh….”

The moment the water went down my throat, I felt a sharp pain, like needles piercing the tip of my tongue.

Even diluted thousands of times, the poison was potent.

My vision blurred, turning white, and I couldn’t see anything. The back of my neck stiffened, and my hands and feet began to tingle.

However, Cainchel possessed an incredible 46.2% resistance to potent poisons.

A poison that would kill an ordinary person only left him temporarily unable to move.

[Your resistance to potent poisons is high; the poison from the ‘pufferfish’ is being neutralized.]

After leaving the training center, Cainchel began to cook in earnest, using various herbs.

Sage, thyme, mint, chives, oregano, parsley, basil, bay leaf, and more.

They eliminated the unpleasant odors of the ingredients and enhanced the flavor of the dishes.

Moreover, cooking with herbs increased resistance to potent poisons.

That was why Cainchel always carried various herbs with him wherever he went.

He could feel the poison that had spread throughout his body dissipating.

Erich grabbed Cainchel’s shoulder with a panicked expression.

His grip was so strong that his bones would have shattered if he had applied any more force.

“A-Are you alright, benefactor!”

“I’m fine. But if you keep holding on, I might not be.”

“Ah! I’m sorry!”

Erich was startled and released his hand.

His demeanor was strangely similar to Instructor Ian, and a smile unconsciously crept onto Cainchel’s face.

Phidiel’s lips were also turning blue.

He was supposed to be finding the culprit who poisoned the well, but he suddenly drank the contaminated water.

It seemed like a proper explanation was needed.

“I have a slight resistance to potent poisons. I can eat stir-fried poisonous mushrooms for three meals a day and be fine.”

“Resistance to potent poisons? How on earth….”

“I encountered an incredible stroke of luck. Isn’t that enough?”

Resistance to potent poisons was a rare ability that even the Sword Master Erich was surprised by.

It was considered almost impossible to have unless you were an elf blessed by the World Tree [a mythical tree in many fantasy settings, often seen as a source of life and magic].

However, having seen it with his own eyes, he had no choice but to believe it.

Sword Masters, who could push their physical abilities to the limit through Aura [a form of life energy or spiritual power], considered poison the most terrifying thing of all.

Erich said with a strangely moved look.

“There’s a saying that to defeat a Sword Master, you should target their bed or dining table. Benefactor, you have already overcome one of your greatest weaknesses.”

Cainchel examined the information about the poison that the Gourmet skill had analyzed.

[Pufferfish Poison]

* A potent poison extracted from the ovaries and internal organs of pufferfish. Even a very small amount is fatal.

* The eggs of pufferfish during spawning season contain several times more potent poison than usual. It needs to be detoxified separately for cooking.

“I’ve identified the poison. It’s a poison extracted from pufferfish.”

“How did you find out what even the royal physician couldn’t….”

The royal physician had been locked in the laboratory for days trying to figure out what poison was in the well.

The royal physician said it was an unidentified poison.

To find out just by taking a sip.

Cainchel was able to obtain various information about the ingredients using the Gourmet skill.

He simply thought of the poisoned well water as an ingredient and ate it.

“If we assume it’s pufferfish poison, there’s something strange. No matter how strong the poison in a pufferfish is, it shouldn’t have this much power when diluted thousands of times. This is a blended poison.”

Just like how eggs can taste different depending on the cooking method, the poison maker mixed pufferfish poison with other poisons to change its effect, as if they were cooking.

Erich groaned.

“Good heavens….”

It was a method commonly used by assassins.

Cainchel then savored the taste of the poison with the tip of his tongue as he drank the water.

‘Ugh, it makes my head spin like I’m drunk. It would have been dangerous if I hadn’t eaten medicinal cuisine with detoxifying effects beforehand.’

To analyze the poison by drinking it!

Erich’s face turned pale at the method he was seeing for the first time.

However, he couldn’t obtain any more new information about the pufferfish poison.

‘Is this the limit for Gourmet level 4 stars?’

“First, please investigate assassins who use blended pufferfish poison. In the meantime, I’ll analyze the poison in the well in more detail.”

To obtain more information about the ingredients, it seemed like he needed to raise the Gourmet skill.

@

Phidiel introduced Cainchel to a doctor who worked for the royal family.

A man in his 40s wearing a white coat extended his hand.

“I’m Victor Evosky. I heard you’re investigating the poison that contaminated the well with the prince.”

“I’m Cainchel, a free knight of Britannia. Then, can you prepare as many poisons as possible?”

The royal physician was an expert when it came to poisons.

Using poison to assassinate royalty was common, and he had been researching poisons for decades to treat them.

Victor pointed to the various poisons placed on the table and began to explain.

“This is a poison extracted from the fangs of a tarantula. It is said that you feel like you’re being burned alive the moment you’re bitten. And the poison over here is absorbed through the skin….”

Cainchel smiled and picked up the tarantula poison bottle.

“U-Uwaaaah! B-Be careful! It’s a poison that paralyzes your entire body if you drink just one sip!”

“A paralyzing poison. Sounds delicious.”

“You mustn’t drink it!”

Ignoring Victor’s warning, he poured it straight into his mouth.

“Hmm. It’s definitely fiery. It feels like I’m drinking high-proof alcohol.”

Victor asked, sweating profusely.

“My goodness…. I’ve seen many people who are fine after eating poison, but you’re the first person I’ve seen drinking it like alcohol.”

“It’s surprisingly tasty. Then, let’s try to eat as many poisons as possible. However, please tell me in advance if it’s a metallic poison, as it doesn’t seem to be treated as an ingredient.”

“……”

Victor stared at Cainchel, who was savoring the poison, with a pale face.

Those that are absorbed through the skin.

Those that only take effect when drunk.

Those that need to be applied to a needle and injected directly into a blood vessel, etc.

There are countless types of poisons.

Most of them were extracted from ingredients that grow in the wild.

Victor explained in detail about the pufferfish poison used by the assassin.

“Pufferfish have particularly strong poison in their internal organs and ovaries. It becomes stronger as the spawning season approaches. The poison in the eggs is especially strong, so even marine predators don’t touch pufferfish.”

The same was true for humans. Sometimes, pufferfish living in the deep sea get caught in fishermen’s nets.

It is said that they no longer catch fish on that day, considering it bad luck.

Cainchel looked at the pufferfish in the tank. Victor had bought it for a high price for research purposes.

“Can I try eating this too?”

“……I wouldn’t recommend it.”

When he cut open the belly with a knife infused with Aura, the internal organs containing the potent poison came into view.

He took it out and brought it to his mouth.

“Oh, it’s delicious?”

Who would ever think of eating a pufferfish that contains potent poison?

Victor asked, startled.

“I-Is pufferfish delicious?”

“Except for the slightly spicy poison taste, the umami [a savory taste, one of the five basic tastes] is no joke.”

“……”

It was the first fish he had ever handled, so the internal organs burst and blood splattered, but he didn’t care.

For Cainchel, this level of poison was just a seasoning that added flavor.

The pufferfish flesh, thinly sliced with the Aura Sword, was so transparent that the other side could be seen.

He picked it up and brought it to his mouth.

Then, he felt a chewy texture that was so elastic that it bounced off his teeth.

‘Wow, the taste is so mild. If I cook this properly, it’ll be amazing. Moreover, there’s no poison in the pufferfish flesh. If I can properly remove the eggs and internal organs, anyone can eat it even without resistance to potent poisons.’

It tasted this good even when eaten raw.

It would be amazing if dipped in yuzu sauce [a citrus fruit used in Japanese cuisine].

The sour and sweet taste of yuzu and tangerine combined with the soft and chewy pufferfish sashimi [thinly sliced raw fish] would surely create a dish with incredible flavor.

Victor salivated as Cainchel ate the pufferfish sashimi so deliciously.

“Haha……. Even knowing there’s poison, I can’t help but want to eat it.”

“There’s no poison in the flesh. If you’re careful not to burst the internal organs, you can cook and eat it.”

“I-Is that so?”

Cainchel’s eyes lit up.

‘Wait a minute. Could it be that I’ve discovered something amazing?’

Following the pufferfish, Victor brought various poisonous mushrooms and herbs.

Cainchel ate them one by one, cramming the taste and knowledge of the poisons into his head.

Among them were ingredients that were as surprisingly delicious as pufferfish.

‘There were so many ingredients that have a fantastic taste if only the poison can be removed.’

In particular, pufferfish may become synonymous with gourmet food, not assassination.

Cainchel narrowed his eyes and looked at the pufferfish still in the tank.

This is worth researching.

As his knowledge of poison grew, something amazing happened.

[You have gained a broader perspective from eating numerous poisons.]

* Among the ingredients that contain poison, there are some that are worth risking your life to eat.

[Gourmet level has increased.]

‘Finally, 5 stars!’

He might have rolled around the lab if Victor hadn’t been staring at him with anxious eyes.

Being able to see information about ingredients was just a side effect of the Gourmet skill.

Its true ability was to absorb the experience and Aura contained in the dishes.

Surely, he would be able to gain much more experience from now on.

After passing level 50, it was difficult to gain experience even after eating mountains of food.

The 5-star Gourmet skill would be the solution.

Cainchel put the few remaining pieces of pufferfish sashimi into his mouth. Then, a new message appeared in the Mind’s Eye.

[You have tasted the 3-star dish ‘Roughly Sliced Pufferfish Sashimi’.]

[Due to the influence of the Gourmet level, you have absorbed the experience and Aura contained in the dish.]

[Level has increased!]

‘Yes! Finally level 55!’

It is said that the average stats of a dragon, the strongest creature, is about 400.

It is a level that an ordinary human would have to be reincarnated a hundred times while maintaining their stats to reach.

However, Cainchel would have the same stats as a dragon once he reached level 400.

‘I’d have to live to at least 300 years old to do that, though.’

Cainchel tried eating a few other ingredients to check the abilities of the 5-star Gourmet skill.

Then, a variety of information was displayed that could not be compared to when he was 4 stars.

‘Yes. With this, I’ll be able to find the person who poisoned the well.’

A strange light flashed in Victor’s eyes as he looked at Cainchel, who was rejoicing.

@

Cainchel visited the well contaminated with poison again with Erich.

“After hearing what you said, benefactor, I looked for anyone who had recently purchased large quantities of pufferfish. But except for a few purchased by the royal family for research, I couldn’t find any. It seems they used stockpiled poison.”

“Pufferfish poison exhibits stronger toxicity the fresher it is. This level of poison would have been made at least within a week.”

Erich nodded.

“His Highness Phidiel is investigating diligently, so he will surely find some clues.”

“Then, let’s check the well water one more time.”

Cainchel pulled up the bucket and drank the water in it.

He tasted a completely different taste from the poisons he had eaten countless times in the past few days.

[Blended Pufferfish Poison]

* Victor Evosky researched poisons to kill people more efficiently. And he found a poison in pufferfish that could produce tremendous effects even in small quantities.

* By mixing six other poisons with pufferfish poison as a base, its performance was greatly enhanced. One drop can contaminate a well that hundreds of people drink from.

[You are now able to acquire the recipe due to the influence of the Brilliant Road skill.]

‘What is this?’

Cainchel swallowed hard.

A recipe for making poison was even appearing in the Mind’s Eye.

But that’s not the important thing.

Victor Evosky. The man who had been researching poison with him for days as a royal physician.

He was the creator of the blended pufferfish poison.

But if Victor was the poison maker, the misaligned gears would be aligned.

How likely is it that Victor, who has been researching numerous poisons, would not know that the well was contaminated with pufferfish poison?

‘It’s like entrusting the safe key to a thief and telling them to catch a thief.’

Erich, upon hearing the truth, gritted his teeth and drew his sword.

“Victor, that bastard! I thought you had sworn allegiance only to His Majesty the King, but you’ve already sided with another prince! A doctor who should be saving people is making poison that will kill hundreds!”

He was about to rush to the royal palace right now and cut off Victor’s head.

Perhaps it was because he drank the poisoned well water, but his mouth tasted strangely bitter.

‘In the end, one of his two older brothers was trying to assassinate Prince Phidiel.’

Cainchel recalled the faces of Adolf, the Crown Prince of Deutschland and first in line to the throne, and Gottfried, the third in line.

Surely, one of them was behind Victor.

It was none of Cainchel’s business, as a foreign knight, who became king.

However, he didn’t want to see someone who trampled on the lives of innocent people to win the battle for the throne become king.

The connection that started with a bowl of food would continue in this way.

“Sir Erich. Please calm down and listen. Even if you kill Victor, you won’t be able to find the culprit who ordered it.”

Erich calmly put the drawn sword back in its sheath.

“I’m sorry, benefactor……. I seem to have been too excited. But does that mean you can find the culprit who ordered Victor to use the poison?”

“Something similar. First, please hold a ball in the name of His Highness Phidiel. Invite people suffering from mercury poisoning there.”

And serve dishes and medicinal cuisine made with pufferfish, claiming they are foods that can improve their symptoms.

“If you say you’re making dishes with pufferfish, no one will want to eat them. Have His Highness Phidiel taste the pufferfish dishes there. Wouldn’t the opponent show some movement then?”

“…….You mean to give the enemy a chance to assassinate His Highness. But will the enemy really take the bait so easily….”

“Then, you’ll be able to save the people suffering from mercury poisoning. It will all be to His Highness Phidiel’s credit.”

Erich, after hearing Cainchel’s story, widened his eyes with a face as if he had seen a ghost.

“Benefactor, you are a genius…!”

A Bowl of Food #3